For You
by Corona 1
Summary: Gosalyn has a nightmare that stems from an experience in a nightmare world. A nightmare that brings out her deepest fear. Can her father comfort her and put that fear to rest? Oneshot set after 'Time and Punishment'.


Oh how much I missed watching this as a kid. I recently watched 'Time and Punishment' and I just had to write this piece. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All rights reserved.

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_Her back pressed against the wall, the ominous, imposing figure of her adoptive father looming over her. The surrounding area seemed to fade away to black, leaving only her and Darkwarrior Duck to stand in the darkness. The grenade launcher in his hand pointed towards her threateningly, and she didn't doubt that he would use it. She cast her terrified gaze up to his eyes, glowing red in the dark. This wasn't her father. This was some kind of demon. And the demon was speaking to her._

"_I should have recognised you as a bad egg from the start!" Gosalyn flinched away from his harsh voice. She fought down the tears, trying to remain brave and strong, trying to tell herself that this wasn't her father. He continued speaking. "I should have recognised the signs! You were always disobeying me, always getting in the way of my work, always distracting me when I could have been stopping crime!" She felt like her heart was in a vice, her breathing desperate and shallow. The tears she was so trying to fight began to win through and one by one trickled down her cheeks. At this point, her father would have stopped and scooped her up. He would have held her close, he would have apologised and explained that he worried about her. But he wasn't her father, not anymore. Now he was some kind of psychotic dictator, a villain in the guise of a protector. _

"_Dad…" She hated that her voice sounded so weak and timid. His burning eyes narrowed at her, his gun pressing against her chest roughly, pushing her harshly into the wall. When he next spoke, his voice was an intimidating, threatening growl. _

"_I never should have adopted you…" She gasped as tears streamed down her cheeks. She shook her head frantically, pleading and begging him not to say that. A very un-DarkWing sneer crossed his face. _

"_Gosalyn Waddlemeyer, I wish I had never laid eyes on you!" With that, the gun fired, and Gosalyn screamed…_

_..._

Covers flew from the bed as Gosalyn thrashed in her sleep, tears falling down her cheeks and soaking her pillow. With a strangled yelp, her eyes flew open and she shot up. Wide eyes surveyed her room as she panted for breath, trying to calm her aching heart. It was a dream. Only a dream. She wasn't in that dystopian future anymore. Her father was still Darkwing Duck, Launchpad wasn't in prison. Everything was fine. So why didn't that comfort her? She started when her door was all but flung open and the light was switched on, momentarily blinding her as her father rushed to her bedside.

"Gos? Sweetie, are you alright?" Her little beak opened and closed a few times, trying to come up with a remark. Looking into his worried eyes, the nine year old instantly let go of her tomboyish act and leapt into him, wrapping her arms around his chest and hugging him tight as the tears spilled. Drake pulled her closer to him, holding her and whispering comfort to her. Lifting her off her knees, he sat her on his lap and cradled her.

"Shhh. Gosalyn, honey, it's alright. I'm here. It's alright." He began to hum his lullaby to her, hoping to calm her. Her sobs died down as the tune reached her, until she was sniffling. He pulled back slightly, cupping her cheeks in his hands and raising her head a little. He wiped her tears away with a swipe of each and thumb.

"There now. What's wrong, sweetheart? Nightmare?" She nodded, leaning her head into his chest and listening to the comforting sound of his heart beat. Drake wrapped his arms around her again.

"Want to tell me about it?" She stiffened a little. Should she? Would he be disappointed in her? He seemed to sense her sudden discomfort and pulled away to look at her again.

"Gos?" She sniffled again, looking down and playing with the hem of his vest. He hadn't seen her looking this vulnerable in...well, ever, really. She looked, for the first time since he'd known her, like a scared nine year old. He waited for her to speak, not wanting to press.

"Dad...y-you don't think I'm a...a b-bad egg, do you?" Shocked by the question, Drake let his hands fall to her shoulders.

"What? No! Wherever did you get that idea? I mean, of course, you can be a pain in the neck sometimes, but to think that? Of course not!" She sniffled again.

"Y-you said that I was a bad egg. Well, not you you, the other you. But it was still you."

"The other me? Oh, the future me?" She nodded. "I'd love to know what his problem was."

"Well, remember when I told you that in that future, you went slightly crazy and took over the city because I'd disappeared?" Drake frowned. He did remember that. And he didn't like the fact that it could be true. Not one bit.

"Yeah, I remember. But you know that's not going to happen, right? I won't let it happen. I'll always fight the criminal element, even if that means fighting myself." Gosalyn wiped at her eyes, still looking sad. She looked up at him, seeing no insanity or anger in his eyes. There was only love and concern. She sniffed again, looking back at her covers laying in a heap on her floor.

"Y-you don't regret...adopting me, do you?" Drake froze. He thought over everything they'd been through together. There were times that he wondered if it had been the right thing to do, wondered whether she would have been safer if he'd left her in the orphanage. And then he would kick himself for thinking such a thing.

"No. I don't regret adopting you. Gosalyn, honey, look at me." A finger under her beak raised her head to look at his face. He tenderly brushed her messy red hair from her beautiful, teary green eyes and stroked her cheek with his thumb. He sighed.

"You are the best thing to ever happen to me. When I told you that before I met you, I didn't have a life worth risking, I meant it. Before you, it had only been crime after crime, case after case. When you came along, I realised that there was so much that I was missing out on. i had become obsessed with fighting crime and establishing my image." Gosalyn giggled.

"You're still obsessed with crime fighting and your image."

"Yeah, well, old habits die hard. Sue me. The point is, honey, don't ever think that I regret taking you in. Just remember, and I may regret saying this, no matter how many times I end up rescuing you, you rescued me first." Gosalyn felt a swell in her pride as she threw herself into his arms again. Snuggling against him, she sighed happily as the memory of her nightmare began to fade away. Drake smiled softly, bending to kiss his daughter on the top of her head and held her close.

"I'm sorry, dad." He was confused now.

"Whatever for?"

"For being a pest and a pain sometimes. I swear I'll help out around the house more and I'll clean my room. I promise." Drake chuckled, rubbing her back.

"Don't sweat it for now kiddo. You just try and get some sleep. Ok?" Gos nodded, allowing him to lay her back on her bed and watching as he picked up the covers from the floor. Putting them over her, he brushed out the creases before seating himself next to her on the edge of the bed. Brushing her hair from her eyes again, he began to sing her favourite lullaby.

"_Rest your head, little girl blue,_

_come paint your dreams on your pillow._

_I'll be near to chase away fear,_

_so sleep now and dream 'til tomorrow." _

He smiled as she snuggled under her covers, eyes drooping closed as a sleepy smile crossed her face.

"_I'll be near to chase away fear,_

_so sleep now and dream 'til tomorrow."_

She shifted, snuggling closer to him, already in a comfortable sleep.

"Good night, Gosalyn." Leaning down, he kissed her forehead and stroked her hair. Standing, he walked back towards her door, hand resting on her light switch. Turning back, he smiled affectionately at the sleeping girl, silently vowing that he would never, ever, turn into his future counterpart. He would never subject his little girl to that horror. He made a solemn oath that he would have himself incarcerated before that happened.

"For you, Gos. I'd do anything for you."

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Hope you all enjoyed. Thanks for reading.


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